Publications by authors named "M L Stefanick"

Background: Prior studies of participants with breast and other obesity-associated cancers in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) showed worse mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes for individuals with a higher number of cardiometabolic risk factors at study entry. The purpose of this analysis is to compare the relationship between cardiometabolic abnormalities and mortality among women with and without cancer in the WHI.

Methods: Women with one of five early-stage obesity-associated cancers (breast, colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma) and controls without any new or prior history of cancer were selected from the WHI-Life and Longevity after Cancer ancillary study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: A hypertensive disorder of pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, but the potential mechanistic links are unknown.

Methods: We recruited 2 groups of women, 1 during pregnancy and another at least 2 years after delivery. Cases had a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, and controls had a normotensive pregnancy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Premorbid health traits that increase the risk of dying at the time of initial presentation of coronary heart disease (CHD) remain poorly characterized.

Methods: We followed 148,230 post-menopausal participants in the Women's Health Initiative for a median of 13.3 years.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Breast cancer survivors are at risk for both poor quality of life (QoL) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study examines whether incident CVD after breast cancer independently predicts QoL.

Methods: Using data from the Women's Health Initiative, we included women who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during follow-up and free of prevalent CVD prior to breast cancer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Cutaneous melanoma (CM) and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) rates are increasing in postmenopausal women, but the impact of vitamin A on their risk remains unclear.
  • A study of 52,877 White women found no link between total vitamin A intake and melanoma risk; however, higher dietary vitamin A and beta-cryptoxanthin were correlated with an increased risk of NMSC.
  • The findings suggest that while vitamin A does not lower CM or NMSC risk, higher dietary intakes may actually increase NMSC risk in this demographic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF